Electrochemical fuel cells convert reactants, namely, fuel and oxidant fluid streams, to generate electric power and reaction products. Electrochemical fuel cells employ an electrolyte disposed between two electrodes, namely a cathode and an anode. The electrodes generally each comprise a porous, electrically conductive sheet material and an electrocatalyst disposed at the interface between the electrolyte and the electrode layers to induce the desired electrochemical reactions. The location of the electrocatalyst generally defines the electrochemically active area.
Solid polymer fuel cells typically employ a membrane electrode assembly ("MEA") consisting of a solid polymer electrolyte or ion exchange membrane disposed between two electrode layers. The membrane, in addition to being ion conductive (typically proton conductive) material, also acts as a barrier for isolating the reactant streams from each other.
The MEA is typically interposed between two separator plates that are substantially impermeable to the reactant fluid streams. The plates act as current collectors and provide support for the MEA. Surfaces of the separator plates that contact an electrode are referred to as active surfaces. The separator plates may have grooves or open-faced channels formed in one or both surfaces thereof, to direct the fuel and oxidant to the respective contacting electrode layers, namely, the anode on the fuel side and the cathode on the oxidant side. Such separator plates are known as flow field plates, with the channels, which may be continuous or discontinuous between the reactant inlet and outlet, being referred to as flow field channels. The flow field channels assist in the distribution of the reactant across the electrochemically active area of the contacted porous electrode. In some solid polymer fuel cells, flow field channels are not provided in the active surfaces of the separator plates, but the reactants are directed through passages in the porous electrode layer. Such passages may, for example, include channels or grooves formed in the porous electrode layer or may just be the interconnected pores or interstices of the porous material.
In a fuel cell stack, a plurality of fuel cells are connected together, typically in series, to increase the overall output power of the assembly. In such an arrangement, an active surface of the separator plate faces and contacts an electrode and a non-active surface of the plate may face a non-active surface of an adjoining plate. In some cases, the adjoining non-active separator plates may be bonded together to form a laminated plate. Alternatively both surfaces of a separator plate may be active. For example, in series arrangements, one side of a plate may serve as an anode plate for one cell and the other side of the plate may serve as the cathode plate for the adjacent cell, with the separator plate functioning as a bipolar plate. Such a bipolar plate may have flow field channels formed on both active surfaces.
The fuel stream that is supplied to the anode separator plate typically comprises hydrogen. For example, the fuel stream may be a gas such as substantially pure hydrogen or a reformate stream containing hydrogen. Alternatively, a liquid fuel stream such as aqueous methanol may be used. The oxidant stream, which is supplied to the cathode separator plate, typically comprises oxygen, such as substantially pure oxygen, or a dilute oxygen stream such as air.
A fuel cell stack typically includes inlet ports and supply manifolds for directing the fuel and the oxidant to the plurality of anodes and cathodes respectively. The stack often also includes an inlet port and manifold for directing a coolant fluid to interior passages within the stack to absorb heat generated by the exothermic reaction in the fuel cells. The stack also generally includes exhaust manifolds and outlet ports for expelling the unreacted fuel and oxidant gases, as well as an exhaust manifold and outlet port for the coolant stream exiting the stack. The stack manifolds, for example, may be internal manifolds, which extend through aligned openings formed in the separator layers and MEAs, or may comprise external or edge manifolds, attached to the edges of the separator layers.
Conventional fuel cell stacks are sealed to prevent leaks and inter-mixing of the fuel and oxidant streams. Fuel cell stacks typically employ fluid tight resilient seals, such as elastomeric gaskets between the separator plates and membranes. Such seals typically circumscribe the manifolds and the electrochemically active area. Applying a compressive force to the resilient gasket seals effects sealing.
Fuel cell stacks are compressed to enhance sealing and electrical contact between the surfaces of the plates and the MEAs, and between adjoining plates. In conventional fuel cell stacks, the fuel cell plates and MEAs are typically compressed and maintained in their assembled state between a pair of end plates by one or more metal tie rods or tension members. The tie rods typically extend through holes formed in the stack end plates, and have associated nuts or other fastening means to secure them in the stack assembly. The tie rods may be external, that is, not extending through the fuel cell separator plates and MEAs, however, external tie rods can add significantly to the stack weight and volume. It is generally preferable to use one or more internal tie rods which extend between the stack end plates through openings in the fuel cell separator plates and MEAs as, for example, described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,484,666. Typically springs, hydraulic or pneumatic pistons, pressure pads or other resilient compressive means are utilized to cooperate with the tie rods and end plates to urge the two end plates towards each other to compress the fuel cell stack components.
The passageways which fluidly connect each electrode to the appropriate stack supply and/or exhaust manifolds typically comprise one or more open-faced fluid channels formed in the active surface of the separator plate, extending from a reactant manifold to the area of the plate which corresponds to the electrochemically active area of the contacted electrode. In this way, for a flow field plate, fabrication is simplified by forming the fluid supply and exhaust channels on the same face of the plate as the flow field channels. However, such channels may present a problem for the resilient seal, which is intended to fluidly isolate the other electrode (on the opposite side of the ion exchange membrane) from this manifold. Where a seal on the other side of the membrane crosses over open-faced channels extending from the manifold, a supporting surface is required to bolster the seal and to prevent the seal from leaking and/or sagging into the open-faced channel. One solution adopted in conventional separator plates is to insert a bridge member that spans the open-faced channels underneath the resilient seal. The bridge member preferably provides a sealing surface that is flush with the sealing surface of the separator plate so that a gasket-type seal on the other side of the membrane is substantially uniformly compressed to provide a fluid tight seal. The bridge member also prevents the gasket-type seal from sagging into the open-faced channel and restricting the fluid flow between the manifold and the electrode. Instead of bridge members, it is also known to use metal tubes or other equivalent devices for providing a continuous sealing surface around the electrochemically active area of the electrodes (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,570,281), whereby passageways, which fluidly interconnect each electrode to the appropriate stack supply or exhaust manifolds, extend laterally within the thickness of a separator or flow field plate, substantially parallel to its major surfaces.
Conventional bridge members are affixed to the separator plates after the plates have been milled or molded to form the open-faced fluid channels. One problem with this solution is that separate bridge members add to the number of separate fuel cell components that are needed in a fuel cell stack. Further, the bridge members are typically bonded to the separator plates, so care must be exercised to ensure that the relatively small bridge members are accurately installed and that the bonding agent does not obscure the manifold port. It is also preferable to ensure that the bridge members are installed substantially flush with the sealing surface of the separator plate. Accordingly, the installation of conventional bridge members on separator plates adds significantly to the fabrication time and cost for manufacturing separator plates for fuel cell assemblies. Therefore, it is desirable to obviate the need for such bridge members, and to design an electrochemical fuel cell stack so that the fluid reactant streams are not directed between the separator plates and MEA seals.